Electric ride-on cars for kids have transformed into incredibly impressive toys. They provide hours of excitement and joy for your children and yourself. It’s crucial to follow safety guidelines to ensure that everyone who operates the vehicles stays safe. This guide is a comprehensive safety checklist for kids’ ride-ons.

Safety Checklist

Whether you already have an electric ride-on car for your kids or are in the stages of purchasing one, performing an in-depth safety check is always a fantastic idea. Following a checklist will help keep your kids from getting hurt while operating their electric ride-on.

Car Inspection

As a parent, you understand the necessity of checking toys before allowing your child to play with them. You don’t want your kids playing with toys that contain broken or missing parts.

Take time to get to know the toy before letting your kid hop in. It’s also an excellent way to understand how your toy works, especially complicated ones like an electric ride-on car. If you don’t know how to operate the vehicle, how can you teach your child? Remember to look for:

• Exposed electrical components
• Jagged or sharp edges
• Broken pieces
• Dysfunctional parts, such as the brakes, seatbelt, steering wheels, and wheels

Everything needs to be in good working order and in its proper place.

Safe Riding Environment

Safety goes beyond your child and the vehicle they’re in; it extends to the environment where they will be driving their ride-on. Help your kids establish a safe place to move around and enjoy themselves. Keep in mind a few different elements, such as riding surfaces, helmets, seat belts, and fencing. Taking these items into consideration will help create a safe riding environment for your little one.

Riding Surfaces

The surfaces you allow your child to ride on are another important safety factor. The best options are concrete and asphalt—they’re hard, flat areas that are easier for children to navigate. Your child will have a tricky time when first learning to operate the car, so it’s best to set them up for success.

If you don’t have this type of space, your child could drive around an open field with short grass and packed dirt. However, if the ground is wet or the grass is long, avoid the area altogether. It may not be as easy to navigate as asphalt or concrete because the car could quickly become stuck.

Hilly and extremely bumpy areas are also a no-go. The rough terrain is challenging on these cars, and it can put your child at risk of flipping the vehicle over. It would be a scary sight to watch your kid tumble down a hill.

It could also be an option to let them drive the car inside, but that depends on the size of your home and what you think is best.

Seatbelts and Helmets

Electric cars give your kids the freedom to feel like they’re grown-ups. Meanwhile, it provides you the opportunity to teach them about road safety and the great outdoors. The first rule is always to wear your seatbelt while operating a vehicle. This road safety rule also applies to your child’s electric ride-on car.

The second rule applies to all outdoor riding equipment: wear your helmet. If your child has a chance of hitting their head, they should have a helmet on, just as they should wear helmets while riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard.

Helmets and seat belts offer your kids an added level of protection while enjoying time in their ride-on car. Act wisely and ensure your child is fully protected.

Fences

You shouldn’t need to be concerned about fencing as long as you’re outside supervising your child while they drive around.

In some instances, there are a few points to ponder. If you live in a busy area or on a high-traffic street, you may feel safer putting up a fence around your property. If you have an inground pool, you may consider fencing around the perimeter—the last thing you need is your child driving straight into the deep end. It’s difficult to keep an eye on your child at all times, and it only takes a split second for an accident to occur.

Fences help children feel secure when they haven’t grasped street safety yet. Of course, they probably aren’t ready for this toy if you’re not comfortable allowing them to ride around in a yard without a fence.

Proper Maintenance

The manual is the best resource for describing how to care for your child’s ride-on toy properly. Pay close attention to the vehicle’s wheels, battery, and body. Inspect the alignment regularly, oil the wheels the moment you sense an issue, and check for wear and tear on them. Change out parts when they become worn.

The car’s body will also show signs of wear and tear—you can’t expect your child to dodge all objects every time. Do your best to teach them how to respect the car and avoid collisions.

The heart and soul of the toy is the battery. Charge it when needed, and unplug the car when it reaches a full charge so that the battery doesn’t drain.

Parental Supervision

Younger children have trouble steering and avoiding objects, so it’s imperative to keep an eye on them until they’re older or until you feel confident in their driving abilities. You know your child best, but it’s better to be overprotective until they demonstrate adequate driving skills.

Cleaning and Storage

Include your child in the cleaning process after each use. Wipe down the body of the car, clean the wheels, and trash any leftover snacks and wrappers that went along for the ride. This task might be more manageable for older kids, but you can work alongside the younger ones and teach them the correct way to clean the car.

Snow, rain, moisture, and critters can wreak havoc on your toy. You shouldn’t store an electric ride-on car outside. Most families keep the vehicle in a garage or shed. If you have space in the house, you can store it in the basement, a playroom, or even the living room. If you don’t want your kids operating it without your permission, keep the car where they can’t access it without supervision.

An electric ride-on vehicle is a fantastic toy for kids of all ages, and following this comprehensive safety checklist for kids’ ride-ons will mean peace of mind for parents. Elegant Electronix carries an array of ride-on toys, including kids’ ride-on ATVs, motorcycles, and more. Consider us when you’re ready to find the perfect ride-on toy for your child.